The apartment across the hall had been vacant for a long time, but the camera captured a mysterious figure. When I taped the door handle, I discovered the truth… I held my breath, eyes glued to the screen. This time, I saw his face clearly…

I had been living in this apartment complex for nearly three months. Everything was fine until one day I received an email from the building management announcing a security camera system check. Normally, I wouldn’t care much about such things, but this time, something about it made me uneasy.

That evening, while reviewing the hallway footage through the phone app, I noticed something strange. Around 3 a.m. the previous night, the camera on my floor showed a tall figure. A man in a black coat, walking slowly. He stopped in front of apartment 1407—the one right across from mine—opened the door, and went inside. But ever since I moved in, that unit had been vacant. Why would a stranger appear at 3 a.m. and go in there?

The next morning, I went down to ask the building management. The old guard frowned at my question, then shook his head:

“Are you sure? Nobody lives in 1407. It’s been empty since last year.”

I froze, feeling extremely unsettled.

That night, I deliberately stood in front of 1407, my hand trembling as I touched the doorknob. A chilling cold spread from my palm up my arm. I pulled back quickly and glanced around the deserted hallway. The door looked ordinary, like all the others, but I decided to stick some tape around the handle, thinking that if anyone opened it, their fingerprints would be left behind. (Something I picked up from detective novels.)

That whole night, I lay still inside my apartment, listening. And sure enough, I heard footsteps in the hallway—slow and deliberate, as if someone was trying not to be noticed.

The next morning, I checked the footage again on my phone. The man appeared, reached for the doorknob, but seemed to notice the tape. He pulled his hand back, then used his sleeve to turn the handle before slipping inside. At dawn, I saw him come out again, pause at my door, raise his hand as if to knock—but then he lowered it and walked away.

I held my breath, eyes glued to the screen. This time, I saw his face clearly. I took a screenshot and brought it to the guard. After looking at it, the old man slapped his thigh and said: “Ah, that’s Mr. Nam! But why would he go into 1407? His place is 1507. Let me check and get back to you.”

That noon, while I was working, I got a message from the guard. He explained that the man had recently rented unit 1407 to use as an art studio, for painting or creative work. His actual residence was still upstairs.

“Mr. Nam also wants to meet and explain to you,” the guard added, “since he knows you were the one who taped the doorknob.”

After reading the message, I felt relieved but also embarrassed. Maybe I had been overly suspicious. Still, every time I pass by 1407, I can’t forget that dark figure in the hallway, which left me trembling with fear for days. Truly, I had been scared of nothing but shadows!